Physostegia plant named ‘Miss Manners’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Physostegio virginiana  named ‘Miss Manners’ characterized by its clump-forming nature, compact, sturdy growth habit and profuse white flowers that bloom over a long period.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention presents a new and distinct cultivar of Physostegiavirginiana and will be referred to hereafter by the cultivar name ‘MissManners’. ‘Miss Manners’ is a new hardy Obedient Plant, a perennial herbgrown for landscape use.

The new cultivar was discovered by the inventor in his nursery inHubbardston, Mass. in 1988 in a mixed population of open pollinatedseedlings derived from Physostegia virginiana ‘Rosea’. ‘Miss Manners’,was selected as unique for its clump-forming growth habit, its compact,sturdy growth, its ability to remain upright in bloom and for its longseason of bloom. The new cultivar can be readily distinguished from allother cultivars of Physostegia virginiana by the characteristics thatare described hereafter.

‘Miss Manners’ differs from its parent plant Physostegia virginiana‘Rosea’ (unpatented) in that ‘Rosea’ has a taller, non clump-forminghabit of growth and rose-pink blossoms. The closest comparative isPhysostegia virginiana ‘Summer Snow’ (unpatented) with a similar whiteflower color. Although reported to spread less rampantly than thespecies, ‘Summer Snow’ has a vigorous, spreading growth habit, tends toflop when in bloom and is generally 6″ taller as compared to ‘MissManners’ (Table 1).

The first asexual propagation was done by division, by the inventor inSeptember of 1991 in Hubbardston, Mass. Subsequent asexual propagationof the new cultivar has been accomplished by division, stem cuttings andtissue culture. The characteristics of this cultivar have beendetermined to be stable and reproduce true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the characteristics of the new cultivar. The combination of thesetraits distinguish the cultivar from all others in commerce.

1. ‘Miss Manners’ has a clump-forming growth habit which is unique andunlike any other Obedient Plant in the trade. Its rhizomes are veryshort, so it does not spread rapidly as do other known cultivars.

2. The plant habit is compact. ‘Miss Manners’ is generally 6″ shorterthan ‘Summer Snow’.

3. The pure white flowers of ‘Miss Manners’ are borne in profusion andrebloom occurs over a long time period from axillary buds whichregularly form down the length of the flowering stem. Secondary axillarybloom spikes form at the leaf nodes of the primary axillary spikes,producing a concentration of bloom. The axillary bloom spikes of ‘SummerSnow’ do not regularly form secondary axillary bloom spikes from theirleaf axils, resulting in a narrower, less floriferous bloom spike.

4. The sturdy stems remain erect and do not tend to flop while in bloom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The plants depicted in these photographs were set out originally as fiveindividual stems in the fall of 1998 in Hubbardston, Mass. Thephotograph on Sheet 1 was taken on Jul. 18, 1999. The photograph onSheet 4 was taken on Jul. 8, 1999. The root photographs (Sheets 2, 3)were taken in Nov. 1999.

Sheet one: the entire plant is shown to depict the plant habit of ‘MissManners’.

Sheet two: depicts the root system of ‘Miss Manners’ (left) next to thatof ‘Summer Snow’ (right) to demonstrate the difference in rhizomelength.

Sheet three: depicts one year's worth of growth on rhizomes of ‘MissManners’ (right) with short internodes as compared to rhizomes of‘Summer Snow’ (left) showing much longer internodes.

Sheet four: depicts the cultivar ‘Miss Manners’ (right) next to thecultivar ‘Summer Snow’ (left) where the difference in height and growthhabit can be readily observed. ‘Miss Manners’ has sturdy upright growth,while the stems of ‘Summer Snow’ have fallen away from the center of theplant and turned upward.

The color is as acurate as possible by conventional photography.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as on 2-yearold plants grown in the ground in the inventor's nursery in Hubbardston,Mass. Phenotypic differences may be observed with variations inenvironmental, climatic and cultural conditions. The color determinationis in accordance with The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal HorticulturalSociety, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: ‘Miss Manners’ is a cultivar of Physostegiavirginiana.

Family: Lamiaceae.

Commercial classification: Obedient Plant, False Dragonhead.

Garden use: An herb that is treated as a perennial landscape plant.

Parentage: Naturally occuring seedling of Physostegia virginiana ‘Rosea’discovered in a nursery bed.

Plant description:

Blooming period.—Early July to late August.

Blooming habit.—Terminal and axillary spikes.

Type.—Rhizomatous perennial herb.

Culture.—Sunny location in well-drained, moderately fertile soils.

Plant habit.—Compact, clump-forming, sturdy, with erect straight stems.

Propagation.—Stem cuttings, division, tissue culture.

Root system.—Rhizomatous.

Size.—2-year old plants grown in a nursery bed are 65-72 cm in height,27-36 cm in width.

Flower:

Type.—Zygomorphic, sympetalous, bilabiate, perfect flowers.

Arrangement.—2 ranked, flowers closely held on terminal and axillaryspikes. 28-56 flowers on terminal spikes, 18-32 flowers on axillaryspikes.

Calyx.—5 sepals fused to ¾ of their length, Tubular campanulate, withsharp-tipped, short triangular teeth. Color: Medium green, 144A. Length:Sepals 6-8 mm, teeth 1-1.5 mm in length.

Corolla.—5 petals 2-3 cm long, fused along ¾ of their length, limb2-lipped, upper lip erect and concave, nearly entire, lower lip 3-lobedand recurved. Color: Pure white, closest to 155D.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens—4 didymous, outer pair of stamens 2-3 cmlong, equal in length to the upper lip of corolla. Anthers basifixed,2-celled, 0.75 mm-1 mm in length. Color: Medium brown, 164A. Filamentsfused to corolla for ¾ their length. Color: Pure white, closest to 155D.Pistil—1, 2-3 cm long, equal in length to upper lip of corolla. Stigmabifid at apex, minute at stylar branch tips. Color: Pure white, closestto 155D. Style gynobasic. Color: Pure white, closest to 155D. Ovarysuperior.

Fruit: Four glabrous, 3-angled nutlets.

Size.—Nutlets 3-4 mm in length, 1.5-2 mm in width.

Color.—Dark brown, 200A.

Stems:

Shape.—Square, somewhat succulent.

Size.—Main stems 5-8 mm in diameter, secondary stems to 5 mm. diameter.

Surface.—Glabrous.

Color.—Dark green, 137-B.

Foliage description:

Shape.—Narrowly elliptic with lanceolate tendencies.

Division.—Simple.

Base.—Cuneate.

Apex.—Bluntly acute.

Margins.—Serrate.

Attachment.—Sessile.

Arrangement.—Opposite, 2-ranked.

Attitude.—Re-curved.

Surface.—Glabrous.

Venation.—Mid-rib recessed, others not prominent.

Color.—Upper surface: Dark green 147-A, Lower surface: Dark green 137-A.

Size.—Median leaves: Length: 11-14 cm., Width: 2.5-3.5 cm. Lowermost anduppermost leaves much reduced.

Internodes.—4.5-7.5 cm in length.

Weather tolerance: Plants have been hardy to U.S.D.A. Zones 2-9.

Disease and pest resistance: Plants to dates have not been observed tobe resistant to pests common to Physostegia virginiana.

TABLE 1 ‘Miss Manners’ ‘Summer Snow’ Rhizome length: Range: 2-4.3 cm9-18 cm Average: 3.2 cm 12.4 cm Plant Size: Height: 45-75 cm 75-105 cmInternode length: 4.5-7.5 cm 5.5-9.0 cm

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Physostegia virginia plantnamed ‘Miss Manners’ as illustrated and described.